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Cassidy, Helen- case, 1939, Undated

 File — Box: 2023, Folder: 15

Scope and Content

From the Record Group:

The LeMoyne Snyder papers document the professional life of an expert in forensic medicine from his early medical practice in Lansing, Michigan to his later years as a "medicolegal expert" in Paradise, California. The collection covers Snyder's career from 1934 to 1984, with the bulk of the collection dating from the 1950s and 1960s. The Correspondence series consists of 3.5 cubic feet of Snyder's correspondence which does not directly relate to his activities with the Court of Last Resort, the publication of Homicide Investigation, or the professional organizations in which he was most active. Instead it includes the private consulting he did on individual cases, where he conducted investigations on behalf of both prosecutions and defenses. In several cases, he conducted or assisted in autopsies. Files that have to do with cases are indicated. Files not labeled as cases may include correspondence with friends and acquaintances.

The Personal Papers series consists of 0.3 cubic feet, including correspondence with Snyder's younger brother Plummer, a brief genealogy, and various Michigan State University alumni activities. Of particular interest are transcripts of oral histories of LeMoyne and Louise Snyder. LeMoyne recounts his childhood on the MSU campus. A more detailed description can be found at the end of the scope and content note. The Court of Last Resort series is 19 cubic feet and dates from the late 1940s through the early 1960s. It is divided into three subseries. The Administrative files contain papers discussing the merits of various cases, publicity on the organization of the Court, and the television series. The Correspondence files contain Snyder's correspondence with individual members of the court and general correspondence about the running of the court and how cases were progressing. The Case Files are Snyder's papers from the Court of Last Resort cases he participated in, which include various background materials, trial transcripts, and correspondence with the accused and their families. Cases that have their own file may be mentioned in the general correspondence as well. Additional cases are mentioned in the general correspondence but they typically do not go into much detail or are described along with other cases. The Professional Activities series is 1.7 cubic feet and contains materials related to his book, articles, speeches, professional service and professional organizations. The materials about Snyder’s book, Homicide Investigation, include background materials, correspondence and reviews concerning the three editions of Snyder's Book. The Publications materials focus on his journal articles. The Speaking Engagements materials include arrangements from, and texts of lectures Snyder gave in the late 1930s and 1958 to 1978. The Professional Service materials focus on organizations that Snyder served in a professional capacity. This is particularly evident in his work against capital punishment and his efforts to see a medical examiner system established in Michigan. The Professional Associations folders focuses on Snyder's participation in associations related to his field such as the Academy for Scientific Investigation, the American Academy of Forensic Science, the National Association of Polygraph Science and the State Bar of Michigan. Also included here are seven instructional filmstrips on the following medical topics: Birth, Pregnancy, Rape; Blood Stains; Identification of Bullets; From Ovum and Spermatozoon to Fully Developed Embryo; Wounds; Hernia, Back Strains; and Post-Mortem Changes. Note: The filmstrips contain graphic and potentially disturbing photographs of autopsies, murder victims, and related subjects. The collection also contains oral histories by LeMoyne Snyder and his wife, Louise. LeMoyne’s oral history was recorded on July 24, 1972 on tape and transferred to CD-ROM in 2002. Both the tapes and the MSU portion of CDs are transcribed. The transcriptions can be found in the Personal Papers series. The audio on the CD-ROMs is missing some parts that appear in the transcripts. In addition, there are blank spots on the ends of some of the tracks. For the most part the blank spots are continuous, the voice will fade out and the next track picks up where he left off. Occasionally, though, some of the blanks spots leave parts out that appear in the transcripts. In LeMoyne’s oral history, he describes MSU during his childhood. He describes the grounds and buildings of campus; students; student pranks; health issues of the campus population; East Lansing; the Semi-Centennial of 1907; athletics; and a family trip to the West Coast. Most of the tracks are about 5 minutes long. Some are a bit longer and some tracks are only a minute long. Louise’s oral history revolves around an incident she and LeMoyne encountered involving the Hesse Crown Jewels in 1946. In November 1945, Captain Kathleen Nash and Colonel Jack Durant found the Hesse family crown jewels in Schloss Friederishoff, a castle occupied by the U.S. Army. They stole the jewels and smuggled them to the United States. Durant and Nash were eventually caught and the jewels recovered. The Snyder’s story picks up when the jewels were found in the U.S. Louise’s account includes a description of the incident intermixed with background history of the Hesse family. Tracks 13 – 30 on CD three are LeMoyne playing various pieces on the piano. The pieces he plays are not identified except for one instance.

Dates

  • Creation: 1939, Undated

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Extent

From the Record Group: 7.4 Cubic Feet (, 7 film strips, 3 cassettes, 3 CDs)

Language of Materials

From the Record Group: English

Repository Details

Part of the University Archives and Historical Collections Repository

Contact:
Conrad Hall
943 Conrad Road, Room 101
East Lansing MI 48824 US
517-355-2330